Richard Hamilton said after Wednesday's practice at the Berto Center that the Bulls "can't (win a title) without (Rose)."
They are both right.
Rose participated fully in the Bulls' hour-long, non-contact practice and is expected to return from his one-game absence with a sprained right ankle for Thursday's showdown with the Heat. Or whatever spoilsport Tom Thibodeau is calling the latest installment of Bulls-Heat.
"When you start looking at it like it's a big game, that's when you have missteps," Thibodeau said, metaphorical bucket of cold water at the ready. "You get ready to play the same way every game, no matter who you're playing."
Actually, Thibodeau did concede importance to Thursday's contest â€" but not for hype machine reasons.
"Derrick has to get some games under his belt too so he can play well," Thibodeau said. "It's not an individual sport. It's a team sport. You have to get your timing with your teammates and your defensive schemes down and all that. So him playing is important, but not at the expense of him playing hurt or injured."
That is no longer the case after Thibodeau said Rose's ankle showed considerable improvement for the second straight day.
"It was a freaky thing that happened to him and he's fine now," Thibodeau said. "He probably could've gone (Tuesday) night but we wanted to be safe with it. He's feeling a lot better. All the swelling is out so that's good."
The Bulls have a three-game lead over the Heat in the race for the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Thursday marks the first of two remaining meetings, with the season series tied 1-1.
Of course, the Bulls had homecourt advantage and lost last season's conference finals to the Heat in five games. Both James, with the Cavs, and Hamilton, with the Pistons, reminded reporters their teams had No. 1 seeds and bowed out in the playoffs in the past.
"I really don't pay (the top seed) no mind," Hamilton said. "You just have to be playing your best."
The Bulls need a healthy Rose and Hamilton approaching anywhere near his 18-point third quarter from Tuesday night to achieve that. Hamilton has staged multiple memorable battles against Dwyane Wade in the past, including helping hound the Heat star into 4-for-16 shooting on Jan. 29 in Miami.
"I really can't say it was me," Hamilton said. "To stop somebody like that, it has to be a team effort. My job is to try to make it hard. I love it. You want to play against the best. That really measures a person."
The Heat have stumbled through .500 ball over their previous 10 games. But Thibodeau dismissed talk of them coasting into the playoffs, just as he did talk of the Bulls getting closer to sealing up the No. 1 seed.
"I don't see that," Thibodeau said. "When I watch them play, I see how hard they play all the time. They have had a great season and are playing great basketball. They're a well-balanced team. You have to play extremely well to beat them.
"They're the Eastern Conference champions, so we're chasing them. That's the way we're looking at it. That's the reality of it."
Layups: Thibodeau called Kyle Korver's seven-rebound, three-block effort against the Knicks "his best defensive game that he has had with us. Loose balls, rebounds, blocked shots, hustle plays, multiple effort; he was absolutely great." … Hamilton said there has been no discussion about extending his playing time past 20 minutes.
Twitter @kcjhoop
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